This is a 5-year-old Great Dane that had been showing intermittent tremors from a young age. There were no other historical clinical concerns, and the dog was currently clinically healthy. Physical and neurological examination was considered normal apart from the presence of tremors seen in the video, which were only present when the dog was bearing weight. Haematology and serum chemistry were considered normal. MRI of the neck only revealed mild hypertrophy of the cervical articular processes without compression of the spinal cord. The phenotype of the tremors is strongly suggestive of orthostatic tremors.

Orthostatic tremor is a high-frequency tremor, predominantly of the limbs, triggered by weight-bearing. This disorder has been described in young giant breeds such as Great Danes, with affected dogs appearing reluctant to lie down and demonstrating a constant tremor when standing. A characteristic feature is that the tremor disappears when walking, sitting, and lying down. Neurological examination is often normal.
A recent study of 60 dogs with this condition has investigated the clinical syndrome in more depth and investigated the response to treatment, retrospectively showing that many dogs can respond to several medical options. Read more about it by clicking the link below.

Video courtesy of Dr Anika de Witt at Onderstepoort Veterinary Academic Hospital.